In Depth

By the end of the day, the seven-member Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission will decide who to bring back for a second
round of interviews for the state’s next Supreme Court justice.

Interviews continued today for the remaining 15 applicants for the high court to replace retiring Justice Theodore Boehm.
Nineteen of the 34 applicants went before the commission Tuesday.

Questions mirrored those asked during the first day, focusing on experience, views on collegiality, judicial philosophy,
and what leadership roles the court’s justices should be taking.

In telling members why he’d want to move from Indiana Solicitor General to Supreme Court justice, Thomas Fisher said that
he wanted to be a judge since clerking at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals early in his career, and this is the next logical
step to be able to think intellectually about the law.

“It comes out of the realization that this won’t last forever, no matter how much I love it,” he said.
“The possibility of being a justice on our Supreme Court thrills me to no end.”

Responding to a concern about his lack of trial experience, Fisher told members that his experience understanding the overall
court process, including trial level and jury issues, is beneficial.

Judge Emkes talked specifically about the growth of her county and its impact on the courts while also mentioning her experience
in handling the high profile death-penalty case of Michael Dean Overstreet.

Lake Superior Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura discussed her handling of juvenile and family court issues and said that experience
could help “breathe new life” into the high court.

The commission goes into executive session at 4 p.m. to discuss the applicants and then will hold a public vote on who will
become semi-finalists. Those people return for second interviews July 30 before the three finalists’ names are forwarded
to the governor for final consideration and appointment.